A common means of packaging and distributing beverages, including soft drinks, beer, and fruit juice, is the use of metal cans. The cans are typically formed of aluminum or steel. The cans are cylindrical with a top and bottom panel. When beverage cans were first introduced on the market, the can itself did not include an opening means, and to open the can, an external device was employed, such as a hand-held opener. To improve the convenience of cans, manufacturers have produced breakaway can openers which are integral with the can top panel and therefore do not require any supplementary opening apparatus. The most common type of integral can opener in use commercially today includes a tab scored in the top panel of the can and lift element attached to the scored tab. The lift element is commonly in the form of a ring attached at one end to the tab. When the ring is lifted up, portions of the tab are torn form the top panel and further force completely extracts the pouring tab from the can, leaving an exposed pouring opening. While such system works completely satisfactory as far as providing a pouring opening, a problem is created in disposal of the tabs. Most beaches, stream banks, and recreational areas of the United States are littered with the ring tabs, creating a nuisance. In addition, while cans are frequently recycled for their metallic content, particularly if they are aluminum cans, the tabs are discarded and do not become part of the recycle process.
To alleviate the problem of the detachable ring and tab, others have provided a double-hole pop tab opener can which solves the trash problem since neither of the tabs detach from the can. However, opening the tab is difficult. The holes formed in the cans may cut a finger and the danger exists of getting a finger stuck in a can hole. The old "church key" beer opener words very well but does not allow the convenience of the can carrying its own opener. Other types of openers have been provided which have attachments means so that the dislodged pouring tab is retained as a part of the can top panel; however, they provide upwardly extending protrusions which can cut the user and in general interfere with pleasant use of cans when the user drinks directly from the can.
The present invention is directed towards improvements of the existing type of cans including self-openers. An object of the present invention is to provide a self-contained opener for a can which has a pouring spout opening in which no portions of the tab forming the pouring spout extend above the top panel surface and in which all portions of the opening device remain integral with the can, thus eliminating the litter problem and saving the metal for recycling.
Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide an opening system for a metal can including an opening stick which forms an opening in the middle of the can in an arrangement wherein the opening stick may be then forced downwardly through the opening to pull a pouring tab adjacent the can's cylindrical sidewall to form a pouring opening through which contents of the can may be discharged or consumed directly by the user.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention over other types of self-opening cans are: (1) cans are opened very efficiently; (2) the system is adaptable to present manufacturing methods; (3) the opening method creates no detached trash; (4) the opener provides a clean pouring opening; (5) the opener avoids any projection that would irriate or injure the user; (6) the opener does not offer any danger to the user; (7) the opener avoids the need for a supplementary detached opening; and (8) the opener is convenient to use.
These general objects as well as other and more specific objects of the invention will be fulfilled in the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.